3.5*
I liked this book. This is another case of it not necessarily being mind-blowing, but still being entertaining and a solid read. Let's talk about the good stuff, yes?
- This was very female-positive. The MC, Freya, was a scientist, and the best one around. In fact, she was quite brilliant. And she had a best friend who was supportive and kind and it was so refreshing.
- Freya has a bit of anxiety, which I enjoyed seeing in a fantasy book. I do wish it had been fleshed out a bit more, but the parts that were there were portrayed quite accurately.
- I enjoyed the romance, and watching it unfurl from hate to love. One of my favorite kinds.
- Watching Freya blossom was nice. She had started out so unsure of herself, and while she always held onto those feelings a bit (which I thought was pretty realistic), she grew so much. She began to realize her worth, even though she had never wanted to be (or ever thought she would end up as) the queen.
What didn't as much:
- I wasn't particularly surprised by many things that happened. I still enjoyed the story, but I was fairly sure I knew where most of it was headed.
- The setup was.... too quick, and too unbelievable. I mean... the chances are just so astronomically slim that this group of people were unscathed? I had a hard time in the beginning adjusting to the swiftness in which Freya becomes queen. It was like: Freya leaves dinner. Five minutes later, the kingdom is all dead, except for all the people who matter in Freya's life. And I just had trouble with that. But after the plot started moving on, I was able to overcome it and enjoy the story.
Bottom Line: It was almost a mystery book rather than a fantasy situation. I loved the infusion of science, and the fact that Freya was more into experiments in her lab than being queen was pretty refreshing. Overall, a fun read.
*Copy provided for review